Where would the Premier League have been without Fergie’s Manchester United?
It’s fair to say that life after Sir Alex Ferguson will be the main storyline of next season’s Premier League soap opera. Many look to him as the glue that has held Man United’s two-decade dominance together. In that spirit, in true MOTD2-style, let’s take a look at what the Premier League’s top positions would have looked like without the Hair Dryer.
1992-93
1. Aston Villa 74
2. Norwich 72
3. Blackburn 71
4. QPR 63
The first Premier League title would have been won by Aston Villa instead of the Red Devils. I should mention at this point, I’m still taking results against Man United into account, as let’s face it, one season’t worth of that would take all day and I don’t employ a statistician. Still, that table makes for fascinating reading, considering the current state of all four clubs.
1993-94
1. Blackburn 84
4. Leeds 70
Blackburn, of course, won the title the following season in 1994-95, but it could very easily have been two!
1995-96
1. Newcastle 78
2. Liverpool 71
3. Aston Villa 63
4. Arsenal 63
We all remember Kevin Keegan’s legendary ‘I would love it’ rant. As a 23-year-old Newcastle fan, a title triumph this season would have shaped my outlook completely differently from the cynical pessimism I currently enjoy.
1996-97
1. Newcastle 68
2. Arsenal 68
3. Liverpool 68
4. Aston Villa 61
Imagine that – a three-way tie for top spot with goal difference deciding the champions. Newcastle’s 5-0 final-day win over Nottingham Forest would have been one of the most dramatic days in Premier League history. And Kenny Dalglish would have had an even bigger fall from grace in his first full season of 1997-98.
1998-99
1. Arsenal 78
3. Leeds 67
It feels odd to pick apart this particular table, with 1998-99 proving one of my personally most memorable seasons. Man United’s treble is a huge part of that memorability, but without that Arsenal would have registered a second successive title triumph.
1999-2000
1. Arsenal 73
2. Leeds 69
3. Liverpool 67
4. Chelsea 65
This season was one of the lesser in terms of breakneck thrills and spills. Eighteen reasons for that came in the point gap between United and the rest. Again Arsenal were best of the rest, and their reputation of the bridesmaid under Arsene Wenger is perhaps well-founded after all.
2000-1
1. Arsenal 70
2. Liverpool 69
3. Leeds 68
4. Ipswich 66
Again Arsenal topped this alternative table. Ipswich’s sole season in the sun would have seen them in the top four.
2002-3
1. Arsenal 78
2. Newcastle 69
3. Chelsea 67
4. Liverpool 64
Arsenal fans will probably want to stop reading by now. This would have been a sixth straight crown, before the legendary unbeaten ‘Invincibles’ secured a seventh in 2003-4.
2006-7
1. Chelsea 83
2. Liverpool 68
3. Arsenal 68
After two straight titles for Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, this would have been a third, and by some distance.
2007-8
1. Chelsea 85
2. Arsenal 83
3. Liverpool 76
4. Everton 65
Chelsea’s Jose era could have been even stronger if not for Fergie’s warriors.
2008-9
1. Liverpool 86
2. Chelsea 83
3. Arsenal 72
4. Everton 63
Next in line to fail to break the Fergie stranglehold was Rafa Benitez, and his failure to lift this title proved the beginning of the end for him at Anfield.
2010-11
1. Chelsea 71
2. Man City 71
3. Arsenal 68
4. Tottenham 62
This time it was Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea side who United calmly swatted aside.
As far as this season goes, Manchester City would be topping that particular table, although the season is not quite over yet. The list of managers Sir Alex has come out on top against is truly staggering, and his success will surely never be repeated in this country. Spare a thought for the likes of Wenger though – his own genius will always be overshadowed.
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